Staff ReporterAt least twelve passengers have lost their lives in a horrific road traffic accident involving a Timboom bus bound for Harare that occurred this Sunday morning along the Chivhu-Murambinda road. According to the police, the bus had 40 passengers on board at the time of the crash.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) reported that the accident happened at the five kilometre peg along the Chivhu-Murambinda road on April 16th, 2023, at 06:30 hours. The cause of the accident is yet to be determined, but the bus reportedly veered off the road and overturned, trapping some of the passengers.
“The ZRP reports a fatal road traffic accident in which a Harare-bound Timboom bus which had 40 passengers crashed at the five kilometre peg along Chivhu-Murambinda Road on 16/04/23 at 0630 hours. 12 people, including the driver, died,” the police said in a statement.
The police are still attending to the accident, and more details will be released in due course. However, the tragic incident adds to the toll of the Easter holiday period, in which at least 30 people lost their lives in 288 road traffic accidents recorded across the country.
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Dr. Fortune Chasi, expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the victims and urged all road users to observe traffic rules and exercise caution on the roads.
“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate event, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the accident. We urge all road users to exercise caution and follow traffic rules to prevent such tragedies from happening,” Dr. Chasi said.
The Timboom bus company has not yet issued a statement regarding the accident. The company operates a fleet of intercity buses in Zimbabwe and neighboring countries, and its safety record has been generally good, according to industry sources. However, road traffic accidents remain a major cause of fatalities and injuries in Zimbabwe, with over 1,000 people dying on the roads each year, according to official statistics.
